Tuesday, April 09, 2013

We name the guilty men

The people who should be ignored when commenting on Mrs
Thatcher:

Nigel Lawson: Tried to shadow the Deutschmark in preparation
for Britain joining the European exchange rate mechanism, forerunner to the
Euro. Got it horribly wrong and couldn’t bear the fact that Mrs Thatcher was
right on the issue so he stormed out in a huff. Damaged only his own
reputation, which has never recovered.

Geoffrey Howe: Made the speech which precipitated Michael
Heseltine’s challenge to her leadership. Madly pro-EU ex-Chancellor who thought
he was cleverer than he actually was and acted out of hurt personal pride not
political principle. A self-satisfied weasel rather than a dead sheep.

Michael Heseltine: The ego finally landed when he mounted
his unsuccessful challenge for the Tory leadership but couldn’t win. Motivated
by personal pride, pique and ridiculous ambition. Another politician undone by
his unthinking support for the European Union. His overwhelming vanity would
have been a disaster for Britain.

Ken Clarke: Bluff, good-ole-boy who twisted in the knife
when she was down but not quite out by telling her that, despite owing his
whole career to her, he would not support her in a second leadership ballot and
thought she should resign rather than contest it. “She said I was being defeatist. I said she’d been
defeated.” Another unrepentant Europhile who even today claims Mrs
Thatcher was in support of the EU.

Chris Patten: Arch-plotter, arch-Europhile, continues to
look after Number 1 with his various appointments including boss of the still
disgracefully anti-Thatcher BBC. Behind Heseltine’s bid for power. Totally
untrustworthy.

Tony Blair: He may have been her heir but he learned nothing
(he even wanted to join the Euro and we have Gordon Brown to thank for at least
avoiding that particular catastrophe) and will always remain the worst Prime
Minister this country has ever been cursed with.